"Mukti, this is Rakshanda, Mrs. Umesh Raman?" she asked, "Main aap ke naam achi thara janthi hoon Rakshnda ji, bathayie ke aap ne ithne thakleef kyun liya?"
"Beta, muje aap se ek urgent kaam hona hai, kya aap kal mere ghar aa sakthe hai?" Mukti hesitated a bit before answering, "I will be there at nine."
"Thank you beta." she cut the line, "Sorry about that, bas ek chota sa kaam tha."
"Ko baath nahi hai beta, chale?" he asked, "Sure Mr. Khanna."
"Aur haan ek aur baath please muje aise Mr. Khanna maath kaho, uncle tho bulao. I am Karthick's father, your friends father." she thought for a moment before answering, "Ji koshish karthi hoon."
"Thank you, chale?" he took her hand and lead her to the car. Mukti leaned back on the seat as Dhilip told the driver where to go when she continued to look outside the window. "Mukti?"
"Ji?" she asked, "Kya hua kaafi geheri soch main padi hui ho."
"Kuch nahi." he raised his eyebrow, "Really bas thaki hui si ehesaas hai."
"Kaafi kaam kar rahi ho tum, Shashank kafi impressed hai tumhari dedicaiton ke saath." he replied this caught her attention, "Dr. Shashank?"
"Haan beta Dr. Shashank ne hi aise kaha, he does not give compliments that easily you know." he smiled for the first time he saw a light in Mukti's eyes that could be claimed as a smile, "He does not give compliments that easily you know."
"I know, maine kaafi suna hai unke baare main." she replied, "Tum docter bana chahti ho na?"
"Sirf docter nahi ek bahoth achi docter jo bahoth sari marizon ko teek karth hai." he laughed, "Bilkul apni ma ke thara ho, kai baathon main. Actually beta muje tumse ek baath karni thi."
"Ji kahiye." she asked looking at him, "Beta your going to turn eighteen soon, tum legally ek adult hojayegi jiska mathlab hai ke tum apni finncies aur rights tume kud deal karna padega."
"Ok?' she responded casully, "From now on you will be handiling your own financies, Naina ke naam tumhari account se nikal jayega. Not that she really kept an eye on you."
"Janthi hoon." Mukti pushed him a bit getting curious, "Beta you will practically be an adult, you will have to soon start to doing your..."
"Aap kehena kya chahathe hai?" she demanded frustrated but kept it out of her tone, "Thanks for making it easy for me from now on tumhari sari decitions aab tumhari zimidari hogi. I want you to take responsibility Mukti, just the way you took responsibility today."
"Yeah, I kind of understood that part." she nodded but internally she wanted to rip his limbs appart. "Mukti aaj maine yeah achi thara pehechan liya ke tum saach main ek adult ho. I'm glad about the decition to put you through boarding school, they really groomed you."
"Thank you." she replied politly just the way she always did, "Aur haan ek aur baath hai, aaj jab tumne yeah kaha me main kabi tumhare papa ke bai ke roop main pesh nahi aaya."
"I am sorry about that Mr. Kha- I mean uncle, sorry aadath badalne main." he patted her lightly on the cheek, "Don't worry beta, now that's out of the way how about you let me get to know you over dinner?"
"JI?" Mukti nearlly scramed, "Yeah I mean really just get to know you please?"
"Sure tho aap kya jaana chahathe hai?" she asked, "Tumhari favorite restaurent kya hai?"
"Well there is this small place, a indian restaurent, Rakshain." she replied, "Rakshain, I can't beieve it, that is the restaurent we are going to tonight."
"Oh, ok that's a suprise." she replied confused but suddenly smiled, "Ek minute kya yeah reservations Shalaka ne kiya?'
"Haan, tume kaise patha tha?" she aksed, "Actually she knows that is my one of my favorite places."
"She knows?" she nodded, "Haan vo mere baare main kafi janthi hai."
"Oh, thank god for that." he replied, "So what do you like about this restaurent?"
"Aap ko kud dekna padega." she replied a fake smile again, Dhilip slighed and leaned as Mukti watched outide the window her eyes filled with tears. "Kya hua beta?"
"Mummy aur papa ke yaad aane lagi." she replied, "Achanak?"
"Nahi peheli baar nahi hai jab muje unlogon ke yaad aayi hai." she replied, "Hamesha muje unlogon kami tho mehesus hothi hai."
"I am sorry beta." she smiled a bit, "Thats ok jo hona hai hoth hai. Aare main tho bul gayi thi, muje hospital ke baare main app se kuch puuchna tha."
"Kya beta?" he aksed, "Well actually vahan par do floors children wards hai."
"Tho maine socha kyun na vahan par thoda sa alag types ka desighning kar diya jay? Chearfull stuff with a sense of beauty." Dhilip looked confused, "O.K...."
"Aur maine socha why don't we do something more with the space after all your main point of attraction for it financially are the complicated cases right?" she replied, "Right..."
"So why not throw in some aesthetics, something no other hospital has offered as a package so far am I right?" she replied, "Your right lekin beta yeah decition lene se pehele kuch logon ko ise dekna padega. You kno what am I talking about right?"
"I know, aap ko market research karna padega right?" she asked, "Haan, don't worry I will certainly take it up all right. Now, no more bussiness Mukti main at least aaj ke raath tume samajna chahati hoon. Can I do that?"
"Ok... tho aap mere baare main kya, well kya jaana chahathe hai?" she asked he wodnered a but and sighed, "How about your love live?"
"Non-existent, main aab jo hoon well it took six months of intensive make over, training and more importantly main class topers main ek thi so that means out of bounds. Aur haan main ladkon main concentrate bhi nahi karna chahathi thi. Haan interact karthi thi lekin romance ke liye zyada waqth nahi diya." Dhilip looked at her shocked before taking a deep breath, "Really?"
"Haan aur use bhi zyada maine apni zindagi main dyan diya, docter bane main, bachpan ka sapna tha." she replied a smile striking on her face, "Ithna bada ke main science aur maths main hamesha class main either third ya fourth aati thi leking rank to tenth tha meri baaki subjects ke wajai se."
"Baki sabjects ke wajai se?" he promted her, "Haan history, geography, english literature aur languate se main hamesha shalow reading karthi thi. Home work last minute katam kati thi kyunki hamesha vo main libery main medical related books padti thi, paas main ek kaafi achi librery thi."
"Really?" she nodded, "Haan, lekin badi padaku tho main nahi thi. Maine basket ball champion thi aur thoda sa dance-vance bhi karthi thi."
"Wow, maana padega you have enough to actually do more than enough to keep any guys on his toes. Aur kya karthi ho tum?" she just shrugged, "Why don't we find out slowly aur aap ko zyada digest karne ke liye majboori nahi hoga."
"Accepted with grace my child." he replied casually but his mind continued to process what he just heard with great speed. "Yeah ithni secretive kyun hai?"
"Uncle, main aap se kuch puuchna chahathi thi." she asked carefully, "Haan bolo, don't worry main tumse naraz nahi hojaunga."
"Thanks, actually meri sari bank acounts aap ke saath joint acount main hai, considering your my gaurdien. Janti hoon ke aap ne kabhi use haath nahi lagaya lekin phir bhi aap ne use kabhi use nahi kiya." she added, "Can I transfter all the money to an individual account."
"Tum apni zindagi main independent hona chahathi ho kya?" he asked, "Haan, please kya main kar sakti hoon?"
"Aare kyun nahi?" he asked, "Zarur karo waise jab main kud karne wala tha lekin this way is better. Lekin agar tume kuch chahiye tho phir bhi manglena don't hesitate."
"Ji, excuse me." she added when her phone rang, "Hi biya!"
"Hi ladli Angad ke saath chat kar raha hoon aur vo bol raha hai ke tum aab Dhilip uncle ke saath ho." he demnded, "Haan Ammey biya main uncle ke saath hoon dinner ke liye ja rahi hoon. Aur haan aap ke update hojayega jaise main ghar pahonchti hoon."
"Teek hai aur haan, tum please une Druv aur us dinya ke bare main kuch bhi maath kaho unse." he added, "Nahi karungi I sware."
"Ji biya, aap bilkul phikar maath kijiye main kisi ko bhi kuch nahi bataungi." she replied, "Aur biya ek aur baath hai kya aap Dr. Tananjay Chattergy ke baare main refer karke bataenge muje?"
"As you wish love, aur haan finally maine tumhare liye kuch stress management ko tuje bejdiya. Aab dinner ko enjoy karo and no studying tonight." he added, "Aab uncle ko phone do!"
"Uncle biya aap se baath karna chahate hai." she gave the phone to Dhilip, "Haan Aarman bolo beta."
"Uncle aap mere liye ek kaam karenge please?" Dhilip looked confused, "Kya?"
"Make sure she eats a rich dinner, main yehi chahatha hoon ke yeah aaj ke din achi thara so jaye." he replied, "Ofcouse beta anything else."
"Nahi uncle, by." Dhilip turned to Mukti returning her phone, "Kaafi achi model hai."
"Actually main ise badalne ke baare main soch rahi hoon. Collage admission ke liye wait kar rahi hoon ek baar vo tai hojay uske baad kafi kuch karna padega." she added, "Don't worry beta Naine tumhari project ke liye tume paise dedegi. Your on a employee baisis just like the other kids, tumhari bank main bhi paise transfter hojayega."
"Janti hoon maine contract ko achi thara pad liya. Aur aunty ne muje yeah project isi liye diya kyunki main docter bana chati hoon aur isi bahane unlogong se expose ho jaou jo medical field main influence karte hai." Dhilip nodded, "Maine is project ko isi liye liya taki main hospital ke baare main seek saku aur ek din achi docter banu."
"Tum kuch chupa rahi ho mujse." he demanded, "Your right lekin us sawal ka jawab main aap ko aab nahi de sakti."
"Mukti beta kya kisi ne kabhi app ke saath?" she shook her head, "Nahi kabhi nahi aap shayad yeah nahi jante hai lekin main self defence min kafi achi thara trained hoon aur ek athlet bhi hoon."
"Saach?" he smiled, "Haan, mama aur papa ke last project main jo log kaam kar rahe the us aunty aur uncle ne muje kud train kia. Jab sai main class three main thi tab sa, it just so happened ke vo log vohi sheher main the. Haar weekend min une ke ghar main teherti thi, principle unlogong ke kafi ache dosth the so koi problem nahi tha."
"Koi problem nahi tha? Lekin gaurdian ka permission?" she rolled her eyes, "Uska power of autorny tho aap ne Shalaka ko dediya hai na. Aur vohi yeah sab sambal rahi hai."
"Point, yeah lo restaurant bhi agai." A man opened the back door and smiled, "Good evening sir. Aare good evening Ms. Khanna, main manager ko batadun ke aap yahan aaye hai?"
"Please do so." she replied going into the restaurant when a little away a white BMW swong into the car park. The car was sparkling even in the late evening, dark glasses rolled up, a man dressed in a dark grey suit and black trousers and shirt stepped out allowing a glims of white leather seats, a very top class c.d player and a stearing with access to the phone cord connected to the car. He himself was quiet stylish with international desighner shoes and gray socks, a silver swiz watch on one wrist and a platinum bracelet. Once he locked the car he twirled the keyes in his finger flashing the great key chain with an antique piece in her hand.
Krishi